Getting the caps on tight

[Billnpatti]

You are a very fortunate man, given your lifestyle. But it all begs the question of how much more might you have done had you chosen to live without the booze and tobacco. :hmm: Just sayin'. And riding a motorcycle without a helmet.....well, you know how much you value your head. :shake: Refuse to use a seatbelt???? What can I say? :idunno: The only advice I can give is don't take up sky diving. :haha:

 

[cynthialee]

to push them solid on the nipple with the hammer means you have to hold the hammer so it doesn't release, while pulling the trigger so you can let the hammer down onto the nipple so you can push

You do not see the danger here?!
Rock on with your bad self.

 

[capt_turk]

I only pull the hammer back enough to get the cylinder to rotate. I don't know about yours, but with mine it won't fire unless the hammer is almost all the way back. And no, I can't see anymore danger there than shoving on it with a stick.

 

[capt_turk]

I don't see how I could have done much more. I've had a far more interesting life than probably 99.9% of the people in the world. I ran away from home at 17. I've worked what is rated statistically the 6th most dangerous job in the world (over 40 years as a merchant seaman). Been a commercial diver, done blasting, worked high steel, been almost all the way around the world several times, been in more countries than I can count, flown wrecked airplanes, and a crap load of other stuff. I've had more than one cop, doctor, paramedic, and fireman tell me they didn't know how I was still alive. And I always got up and walked away. A bit worse for wear a few times, but nothing that ever stopped or slowed me down. I've only slowed down a bit in the last 10 years, and that is only because my back got broken in an industrial accident. Got thrown across two barges into a bin wall. Still stood a 6 and 6 watch for 17 days before I ever made it to land and a doctor.

I've lived my life by the old saying "When I die, I want it to be crossed up in a power slide into the grave with a flash of glory, all used up, a smile on my face screaming Yahoo what a ride! I may die soon, but I definitely will not die of boredom.

I've been called rabbit-ass nuts more than once, but I figured it was just calculated risks. :youcrazy:
living a safe(dull, boring) life is not fun to me, and I've sure had fun!! :grin:

Here!! Hold my beer, I'm gonna try someth'en!! :rotf:

A PS: I've NEVER gotten anyone else hurt or killed...

 

[M. De Land]

I only have to pull the hammer high enough to clear the capped nipple,rotate the cylinder by hand and don't need to touch the trigger. Doesn't even get to half cock and all this is done while in complete control of the muzzle with both hands.
Probably less dangerous than what I was doing holding with one hand and pushing caps tight with the other.
Works as stated on all four of my cap-n-ball revolvers.
You might actually want to try it before passing final judgement on the technique. MD

 

[Blizzard of '93]

cash capper does well on my '58 and ROA I still give 'em a tightening squeeze with the hammer.
careful here - a wood dowel is likely safer but I've never used, just the hammer squeeze. been lucky so far.

 

[M. De Land]

Well, really, so what if it did fire pointed down range and in a safe direction, it's not going to hurt you. Truth be told I don't think it possible to push hard enough on the hammer to detonate a cap. Different story though if you rap the hammer spur with something hard. Impact not pressure is the igniter. I'll test this out and see if I can get a cap to ignite on a nipple by applying pressure directly from the hammer spur on a empty cylinder.
I don't know how many times over the years I have squashed a primer flat sideways in a primer pocket of a case while reloading and never has one ignited.
Well,just got back from the shop and testing a single cap on three different revolver nipples and applied my full body weight on the hammer spur while wearing one padded welding glove with the other bent double over the spur. The cap was deformed from the whole body weight of pressure ,removed with forceps from the side and place on the next revolver nipple for the same test. Revolvers test were 1858 Pietta Remington, 1860 Pietta Colt and a Ruger Old Army. The cap would not fire by direct pressure but when the pressure test was completed the cap fired without hesitation when the hammer was dropped in normal firing sequence. Seating caps with hammer pressure is a safe practice from what my testing indicates. MD

 

[necchi]

and applied my full body weight on the hammer spur while wearing one padded welding glove with the other bent double over the spur. The cap was deformed from the whole body weight of pressure

Interesting discussion;
How did you put your full body weight on the hammer?
Stand one footed on it?
Or do you mean you just leaned down hard on it with solid hand pressure?

Either way your point is well taken.

I wonder how many foot pounds of energy is delivered with the kinetic force of the hammer blow vrs steady pressure of being pressed on?
Or how someone could measure it,,
And why is it different?
You could probably set the cap off with just a light tap of a carpenters hammer against the hammer spur. And not set it off even driving a car over it,,

It's obvious it takes a sudden blow,, But Why?

 

[M. De Land]

I put the cap on the revolver nipple under the at rest hammer, put the right hand padded welding glove on, placed the revolver muzzle down on the wood shop floor, folded the left hand welding glove in half on top to the hammer spur and while gripping the hand grip in my left hand applied all my 200 lbs of body weight on the hammer spur for just a second lifting my self off the floor from a knelling position. MD

 

[Chris Hayes]

I seat my caps the same way. Hammer back just enough to clear the nipple and after capping, push the hammer. I haven't shot anyone either.

 

[pargent]

An in line capper makes this even easier ,AHHHHH! The cap saga anyone would think this was a big deal , hold the revolver in the palm of your left hand ,with the hammer at 1/2 cock slowly rotate the cylinder with the thumb of the left hand, when a nipple is lined up with the indent in the right side of the recoil shield , hold a cap between the thumb and trigger finger of the right hand and push it onto the nipple , seat the cap with thumb pressure .Repeat as necc. . :shake: :shake: That is how hard it is , the only real reason some one would not be able to coordinate doing this is if they had a disability in either hand .

 

[M. De Land]

That's great for the first go around with properly fitting caps that won't fall off the nipple from back fire pressure or hammer inertia, until they get caked with a bit of fouling,then they will need seating for a sure, first shot ignition.
Having to crimp caps to make them stay in place means they don't fit correctly to begin with. They should stay put on their own on a clean nipple and will need seated by some other means for the second and subsequent shots unless wiped down after each firing.
As a side note ,inertia from recoil is not what removes loose caps. Inertia would tend to make them stay on if one thinks about it. Foreword shock from the hammer inertia and gas blowing back from under the spent cap is what knocks loose caps off the unfired chamber nipples. MD

 

[capt_turk]

It isn't getting the caps on the nipples, it's getting them seated all the way so you don't end up with a misfire. I always buy the same size and brand caps but one can will seat all the way with no problem and the next can they will not go all the way on without extra pressure. The pressure on the hammer just makes sure they all go on all the way. Since I've made it a habit of doing it this way all the time I've not had a cap fail to fire on the first fall every time. Also, since I've made this a habit, I've never had a cap fall off.

I did get one can of caps that wouldn't fire no matter what I did. I even laid them on the concrete and hit them with a hammer. Still wouldn't go off.

 

[Zonie]

As I've mentioned before, I have crushed new percussion caps in my vise until they were squashed beyond recognition. Not one of them fired.

Taking the crushed caps and placing them on the vises little flat anvil and striking each one with a metal hammer caused each one of them to detonate.

 

[necchi]

Now that's some neat stuff to ponder.
So caps aren't Pressure Sensitive,
They're Impact Sensitive, :hmm:

Sure wish we had an expert in the field that makes these things to explain that.

 

[rmonday2]

Impact can be thought of as the rate of displacement of particals which genetate heat.
Faster-Hotter. Friction!

 

[AZbpBurner]

Stick, dowel, capper tip vs hammer to seat caps - all are of no real safety hazard, since, as already mentioned, squeezing won't set off your caps - it takes a sharp hit.

And that's why they're called PERCUSSION Caps :haha:

There are many sound loading & handling procedures. Everyone regards their method as the best & many folks get really aggrivated when one does not cecede & immediately begin going it their way.

Some folks just need to switch to Decaf before interacting with their fellow man.

Of course, there are some REALLY & Genuinely stupid moves out there touted (usually only once) as good advice, but it's not too difficult to discern personal preference from dumbness.

 

[Grumpa]

I really love this Forum...getting to sit in on heated discussions, lots of laughs, and gaining new insight from everyone's experiences. Thank you, all. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: And I finally figured out how to do these smilies!

 

[Wes/Tex]

Yeah Grumpa...just think of it as humility training! :haha:

 

[MSW]

As I've mentioned before, I have crushed new percussion caps in my vise until they were squashed beyond recognition. Not one of them fired.

Taking the crushed caps and placing them on the vises little flat anvil and striking each one with a metal hammer caused each one of them to detonate.

that's the cool thing about Zonie ... he actually tries stuff out, rather than simply pontificating.

:hatsoff: :hatsoff: :hatsoff: